Tessa Kirby
Join in and paint a public mural

Anyone can have a go, see the work grow through your creativity. No age barriers 4 to 84 years, all are welcome.

Tessa Kirby is a local professional artist who trained at the Reigate School of Art and Design and Oxford Brookes University, Oxford. She loves to work on a large scale, but is in fact a specialist in portraiture and works to commissions. Last year Tessa was commissioned by the Corn Exchange to paint it's Pantomime Mural in the entrance hall.

Over 10 years ago whilst the Corn Exchange was being renovated Tessa painted a mural on the hoardings to show members of the public what would be going on in their new arts centre. "I thoroughly enjoyed painting dancers, acrobats, opera singers, musicians and actors" she says. The huge work was missed greatly when it was finally removed for the re-opening of the Corn Exchange.

Sponsored by

Zertain Effects
Folk music workshop.

Patrick Cogswell and Skyport Ade Tucker, a duo these days, but solo players too; both blues legends in their day, now just happy to skull about and watch the younger generation make the same fools of themselves as they did. Skyport writes a song a week about Basingstoke, quite a feat under the circumstances.

Bill Mackinnon, passionate singer and song writer, moving spirit of Newbury Jam, excellent musician on many instruments and writer of the Beautiful Chaddleworth Maid and other songs of a local theme.

Dave Newson, musical entrepreneur, creator of the brilliant but short lived Oxford Roots, superb musician and session player, a virtuoso of the Base Guitar.

Richard Cox-Smith, increasingly celebrated, a man of steel and superb fingers, modest and stunning at the same time, what more can be said, ran the sessions at the Rampant Cat for many a year.

Plus.. A mystery lady, not yet revealed her name, but watch the horizon closely.

Face painting by Whackadoodle Parties in aid of Daisy's Dream the charity for bereaved children. Come along, get painted and support us.

Poetry tent! Stories throughout the day. Anyone bringing along a book by Susan Rollings will have it signed by the author.

Larger than life art installation for children to contribute to - just turn up and have a creative time!

Andrew Hazelden and Ursula Waechter work with others as a group called Aldermaston Potters. They make painted tin-glazed earthenware and each works independently to produce a variety of functional and decorative ware.

They use electric kilns but the group's big wood fixed kiln is still fired several times a year.

Aldermaston Potters is open at published times for Open Studios. During the Newbury Fringe Festival they will be demonstrating throwing and decorating their ceramics.

The photo workshop at the fringe festival promises to be a whole lot of fun. Lead by photographer Jane Body with extracts from her photography beginners course she runs at Jewell’s Farm where you can also see her work on show as part of Newbury Open Studio Scheme. Jane who has taught art and photography in schools and colleges trained as a painter, and then studied photography; her recent work combines both as her photographs are printed onto large canvases.

Fun, memorable, without any frightening technical jargon

The workshops series includes:

Ever wished how to banish blurry pictures forever? Then this is for you- or any one of your family [age 6 upwards] an easy and amusing way to learn and remember how to hold a camera steady without a tripod and never have wobbly photos again.

Had enough of family photos with heads or feet missing? Join in on ‘framing a view’ with this hands on workshop you get to learn aspects of composition in picture making. Followed by a humorous look at viewpoints so you can avoid the photos with the signpost or poles coming out of some ones head.

Although these practical and interactive workshops require no previous skill they are also an excellent way to improve and equally suitable for children and adults. In the final session, catch the moment, when to press the button and four rather useful techniques for better people pictures…come along and find out more.

Sponsored by

The Newbury Bobtails lace making group will be holding workshops throughout the day for anyone who would like to learn the art of Bobbin Lace.

They will provide pillows etc for use throughout the workshop. Information on classes and tutor will be available for anyone who would like to continue.

Middle Eastern Dance, more commonly known as Belly Dance has ancient origins but is frequently misrepresented. For many centuries it has been performed at family celebrations and public festivities throughout the Middle East. It is a beautiful dance form suitable for women of all ages and sizes. It improves posture and flexibility and is great fun to learn!

Local exotic dancer Judi Linley from Shaw and some of her students will be giving performances and short taster session workshops. Last year Judi completed a two year dance teacher's diploma specifically for teachers of Middle Eastern Dance.

Judi has been teaching and performing Egyptian dance for many years. She teaches evening classes in Newbury and before moving here she taught in south Wales and performed regularly at Lebanese restaurants, weddings and parties for the Middle Eastern Community and at other community events, charity events and festivals, either as a soloist or with her students.

In January Judi and three of her students performed as 'Layali' at a Moroccan Evening in Hungerford Town Hall. It was a great success and they hope to appear at other local events during the summer.

Join RhythmWorks' Graeme Goodwin and Sunny-Boy (Lamin Sanneh) today and learn to play the Djembe.

RhythmWorks was formed by Graeme in 1999 in the Gambia, West Africa.

Trained in The Gambia; Graeme found his own calling with the Djembe after a near fatal car accident; the drum being an essential tool in speeding his full recuperation.

He has been playing as an apprentice to Djeli Tomas Camara - a 30 year veteran of the Guinean Djoliba and African Ballet - for 5 years. Together they train Djembe drummers at the RhythmWorks drumming centre Alla Leake Kunda in the Gambia.

Graeme and his family are committed to their extended African family, to the Djembe, and bringing West African percussion to our communities.

Newbury Embroiderers Guild
Workshops

Newbury Embroiderers' Guild comprises approximately 30 local members with varying skills in textiles. They work on individual projects and occassionally on a combined task as demonstrated by their recent exhibition at the Corn Exchange of their pieces inspired by the Kennet and Avon Canal . Their textile work may be a picture. a hanging, or a 3D object such as a box, a bag or a vessel.